Small Wyoming town evacuated after gas plant explosion

The small Wyoming town of Opal was evacuated on Wednesday afternoon after there was an explosion, followed by a fire at a gas plant.

Lincoln County spokesman Stephen Malik said that the evacuation of the roughly 100 residents was done out of an abundance of safety, reports USA Today. The fire was contained about three hours after it began.

The small western town of Opal is about two-and-a-half hours away from Salt Lake City.

Malik said, “Last information we have, there’s still no confirmed reports of any injuries, and we’ve evacuated the town of Opal as a precaution.”
According to Fox 13, the explosion was at the Williams Gas Plant. The plant’s spokesperson said all employees were accounted for.

Residents of Opal were being temporarily relocated to hotels and the nearby US 30 and WYO 240 were closed down and any traffic was being diverted. The roadways were being kept closed for “an undetermined amount of time,” according to a press release.